Boro are a week away from their first friendly of the summer as the squad gears up for a pre-season stint in Portugal.

But will Monk have any new faces through the door before they jet off to the Algarve? Jonny Howson is one player who could complete his switch before the weekend, with Boro increasingly confident of signing the 29-year-old midfielder.

Should that deal go through, Howson will be the first of a number of new faces as Monk looks to bolster his Boro squad with all eyes on a promotion push.

But how is the squad looking as things stand? And which positions are the priority before the transfer window closes?

Goalkeeper

Current options: Dimi Konstantopoulos, Connor Ripley, Tomas Mejias

In Dimi and Ripley, Boro have two keepers at opposite ends of their career but both will be undoubtedly keen on making the gloves their own this season.

Ripley has already made it clear he doesn't see himself as a deputy and is targeting the number one spot. He's served his time with loan moves and was a record breaker at Oldham.

And then there's Tomas Mejias, back at Boro after his rather unsuccessful loan spell in Spain. We've seen in fits and starts that the Spaniard is capable but if a club came calling Boro would be unlikely to stand in his way.

So will Monk look to strengthen? According to tabloid reports, he will. Boro have already been linked with moves for Kieren Westwood and Sam Johnstone , though latest claims suggest Aston Villa are still in pole position to sign the latter.

Boro's current crop of keepers will see pre-season as a major opportunity to catch the eye of the new manager. At this stage, it's hard to say who will be between the posts at Molineux on the opening weekend.

Full-back

Current options: Fabio, George Friend, James Husband, Alex Baptiste

It's not a lack of quality which is a concern here, rather the lack of cover.

In Fabio and George Friend, Boro have two full-backs who have previously stood out in the Championship but numbers are needed to cope with the 46-game grind.

Alex Baptiste can play at right-back but has played most of his football at centre-half. After his loan stint at Preston, Baptiste opened the door to making that move a permanent one but his priority will be impressing new manager Garry Monk with his Boro career having never really taken off.

Fabio leaps for a header at home to Chelsea

Additions needed? Yes. And Boro have already made a move in a bid to strengthen at right-back but were left frustrated as Chris Gunter signed a new deal with Reading.

One other name thought to be on Boro's radar is Derby's Cyrus Christie, though the club are understood to have several targets.

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Central defence

Only three teams conceded fewer goals than Leeds United last season - and two of those won automatic promotion.

That bodes well for Boro next season with Monk taking charge of a side of which the foundations in recent years have been built around a solid non-charitable backline.

Ben Gibson's quality speaks for itself, though at this stage we don't know what the future holds for the classy centre-half.

And in Daniel Ayala, Boro have a defender who was one of the best in the division last time around. Hopefully Monk can help the Spaniard put last season's frustrations behind him and get back to his very best.

Daniel Ayala (Image: CameraSport)

So do Boro need to strengthen here? If Gibson goes then undoubtedly. But even if he stays, the addition of an extra body would be understandable.

The jury is still out on Espinosa though a full pre-season would do him the world of good. He had to bide his time last season but even when he featured regularly in the second half of the season, he was often carrying a knock and playing through the pain barrier. He still has a lot to prove, though.

Baptiste has bags of Championship experience, while Dael Fry is a year older and wiser but another loan move may well be in the offing if he's not featuring and if Boro have the numbers which would allow him to continue his impression progression with regular football.

Swansea's Kyle Bartley has been inevitably linked since Monk took charge. It would have the look of a wise signing.

Central midfield

That's quite the abundance of central midfielders for Garry Monk as Boro kick-off their pre-season schedule next week.

Now at this stage we don't know which set up Monk will adopt at Boro and how many midfielders he'll play, though at Leeds he often favoured two in a 4-2-3-1-type system.

What Boro do have in that position as well is an absolute stack of Championship experience. Clayton, Forshaw and Leadbitter speak for themselves while Guedioura was very well thought of at Watford as he helped the Hornets to promotion a few years back.

One challenge for Monk is adding a few more goals and a bit more attacking spark from the middle of the park.

Adam Clayton in action against Sunderland

Additions needed? With the Howson deal expected to go through, Boro look to have more than enough cover in this position.

Marten de Roon remains the subject of much speculation and his future is still unclear, though should the Dutchman move on Boro still look well equipped.

With so many options, pre-season should offer more clues as to Monk's pecking order and whether any of the other midfielders will perhaps assess their options.

Attacking midfield

Steve Gibson spoke of the need to add "pace and flair" and that remains the case with the early signs of the summer suggesting Garry Monk is looking to completely overhaul this department.

Viktor Fischer has already gone, Stewart Downing has been told he doesn't feature in Monk's plans and Gaston Ramirez's departure remains likely after his disappearing act last season. And then there's Adama Traore who has been linked with a move away, though Boro are thought to be keen on keeping hold of the unpredictable winger and helping him harness his potential.

Harry Chapman and Callum Cooke have both been training with the first team though both youngsters, while extremely gifted, are lacking Championship experience and it would be unfair to expect too much of them at this stage of their careers. Like Fry, if both are fringe figures then another loan move could aid their development.

There is Carlos de Pena as well, though he won't feature for Boro and will leave if the club can find a suitor.

Cristhian Stuani, Adam Forshaw and Patrick Bamford have all previously occupied attacking midfield positions for Boro, though Bamford and Stuani look more at home through the middle and Forshaw in a slightly deeper role.

Additions needed? Indeed. And there's no doubt Boro will strengthen in this position before the start of the season. Boro need quality and quantity and will look for proven Championship experience as they look to add much-needed creativity to the ranks.

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Striker

Gestede and Bamford are tried and tested in this division and if the service and company is provided, they'll score goals.

After joining in January, both will benefit from a full pre-season ahead of their first full campaign as Boro players. Both players can be assets in the Championship.

Stuani is an interesting one. It will be intriguing to see how Monk uses the Uruguayan in pre-season and whether or not he'll continue out wide or get his chance through the middle.

Additions needed? Boro have the players to take the chances - the priority, as touched upon above, is making sure those chances are created.

That said, after coming up so short in front of goal last season and not scoring as many as their promotion rivals in recent Championship campaigns, Boro won't want to take that risk again - hence the interest in Britt Assombalonga.